Masahiro Yamamoto 山本真弘 |
|
---|---|
Born |
Nagasaki, Japan |
April 14, 1983
Native name | 山本真弘 |
Other names | Speedmaster |
Nationality | Japanese |
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
Weight | 63 kg (139 lb; 9.9 st) |
Division |
Featherweight Lightweight |
Style | Kickboxing, Kyokushin Karate |
Stance | Southpaw |
Fighting out of | Tokyo, Japan |
Team | Fujiwara Gym |
Trainer | Toshio Fujiwara |
Rank | Black belt in kyokushin Blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
Years active | 2002-present |
Kickboxing record | |
Total | 62 |
Wins | 42 |
By knockout | 12 |
Losses | 14 |
By knockout | 9 |
Draws | 6 |
|
Masahiro Yamamoto (山本真弘 Yamamoto Masahiro, born April 14, 1983) is a Japanese kickboxer who competes in the lightweight division. After beginning his career as a featherweight in 2002, Yamamoto became a mainstay in the All Japan Kickboxing Federation and first challenged for the AJKF Featherweight Championship in December 2004 when he fought to a draw with Genki Yamamoto. He then went on a hot streak in 2005, winning the IKUSA 2005 –60 kg Grand Prix in the process, and was given another chance at the AJKF Featherweight title in January 2006 when he beat Genki Yamamoto in a rematch to take the belt. The following years saw Yamamoto move up to lightweight and have more domestic success as he took the AJKF's Best of 60 kg Tournament 2007 and the Krush Lightweight Grand Prix 2009 before he emerged internationally with the It's Showtime promotion. He lost to Sergio Wielzen in his first attempt at the It's Showtime 61MAX Championship in December 2010 but came back to win the belt in July 2012 by defeating Javier Hernandez.
Yamamoto began practicing Kyokushin karate as a schoolboy and won the all-Japan junior high school full contact karate championships in 2000, followed by the high school championships the following year. He would later begin kickboxing under the legendary Toshio Fujiwara at the Fujiwara Gym in Tokyo, and debuted professionally with a unanimous decision win over Hideki Shimizu at AJKF: Golden Trigger on September 6, 2002.